


Winning Over the Bartender

by SpicyGoddess



Series: New Vegas AU [5]
Category: Fallout: New Vegas, Marble Hornets
Genre: Flirting, Loss of Limbs, M/M, but i loved it so much oh my god, but it works as well as having your twin being your wingman probably would, but of scary wasteland creature NOT people, continuation of other fic NOT by me, linked in the notes, sibling realtionship, wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyGoddess/pseuds/SpicyGoddess
Summary: "You will be fine. You just need to commit to flirting with him, and not back out like you did today.”
Relationships: Skully/Brian Thomas | Hoody
Series: New Vegas AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695664
Kudos: 1





	Winning Over the Bartender

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE SKULLY WITh ALL MY HEART READ THIS FIC ITS LIKE A PREQUEL: https://i-have-seen-it.tumblr.com/post/189856990787/as-expected-unexpected  
> aaaa I love

The pair of twins had been semi frequent regulars at Skully’s bar, making a point to stop in and chat with the bartender every time they were in town. Skully found that he quite enjoyed the pairs inconsistent but frequent visits, despite their antics. He knew they were important, and he knew exactly what path they would leave the wasteland down, but most importantly he knew he genuinely enjoyed their company and them as people. He had grown comfortable with conversing with them over the past months, so it came as a surprise when one day, after walking in, neither had struck up conversation as usual.

In fact Brian began with a “Hey Skully I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but youre drinks are a work of art, much like yourself.” He ended the statement with a wink. 

Skully stared blankly at him for a moment. “I didn’t realize you and Eder switched personalities for the day. I reckon you’ll be having the whiskey, since you’re carry’n on the flirt with the bartender custom.” Before giving him a chance to reply, Skully turned to prepare the drinks for the twins. He didn’t plan on actually giving the whiskey to the medic, he knew he didn’t drink alcohol, but he didn’t mind messing with them a little. 

While his back was turned, he missed the medics panicked glance to his twin, who made a desperate gesture that was supposed to mean ‘keep talking with him.’ Unfortunately for Eder, his twin stayed quiet, until Skully had finished preparing the drinks. When Skully set them in front of their intended recipient Eder spoke up on his brother’s behalf.. 

“I think Brian means to tell you that you look like a tall glass of sasparilla on a hot day. A dream come true.” Skully couldn’t help but laugh a little as he heard Eders undignified squawk as an elbow connected with his ribs. He turned to prep drinks for his other patrons and pretended not to hear Brian not so quiet whisper, “Shut your mouth Eder!” to his twin. 

The pair left not long after, and upon their return to their shared room in the local motel, Brian sank to the floor. 

“Shit shit shit, Eder what if I read him wrong. What if he’s not even into guys and I just made him uncomfortable?!”

“Brian, he is a bartender. I think It will take a little more than a little awkward Bri-bri flirting to make him uncomfortable. Besides, he is totally into guys. It is not that hard to tell by the way he interacts with customers.” 

“Okay, maybe he is gay,” Bri conceeded to his twins point, “but what if he isn’t into me? What if he like boys who aren’t blonde. Or aren’t in the NCR? You heard him before, he doesn’t completely agree with the ideology and what if that’s enou-”

“Brian”

“-gh to make him consider me not an option. Who knows may-”

“Brian.” Eder repeated louder, drawing out the others name this time as well. “How could he not like you? Do you really think he is the type to write people off based on faction?” He briefly remembered the blood stain on the floor that Skully had simply explained as ‘Legion.’ “Actually do not answer that. The point is, you have a shot, and even if the active service thing is kind of a turn off, your tour is up in like a month anyway. You will be fine. You just need to commit to flirting with him, and not back out like you did today.” 

“Alright” Brian took a moment to calm down his racing thought before repeating himself again. “ Alright, I’ll try again next time we visit.”

——

The next time they visited didn’t go well for Brian, as upon entering someone approached Eder, and spoke in hushed tones that Brian didn’t really pick up on. However, he could read the apologetic look in Eder’s eyes when he looked at him again.

“Alright, Bri, so change of plans, looks like you will have to flirt with Skully boy without my superior guidance, but you will be fine!” Eder put an arm around his brothers back and guided him to the door of the towns bar, despite Brian trying to turn and walk the other way. Sure he didn’t completely trust his brother to be his wingman so to speak, but some support was better than nothing right?. “Just remember what we talked about!” Eder said gleefully before yanking the bar door open, and unceremoniously pushing Brian inside. The sudden force caused the NCR medic to fall into the bar with a loud thud.

Before the door closed Brian saw his brother pull on a pair of goggles and reach for the bandana he always kept in his pocket as he practically skipped away. ‘Traitor’ he thought for a moment before Skullys words registered in his brain. 

“Hey, Brian? You alright there?” 

Brian looked at the bartender for a long moment, breathed, blinked slowly, and before his worries could catch up to him, spoke. “Yeah, I just lost my footing while I was lost in thought about you.” 

Skully snorted, “So your taking up the flirting roll in your brothers absence huh?”

Brian almost let his head thunk against the floor, but instead reluctantly picked himself up and prayed he wouldn’t make too much of a fool out of himself.

——

When Eder got back, he tossed a lump of fabric at Brian who barley caught it.

“Why is it wet?” He asked, suspicious of his brother, especially after only a few nights ago he had thrown him to the wolves, well singular wolf really, which even that was an exaggeration.

Eder just motioned for him to unwrap whatever it was. “It is to help you win over your not quite boyfriend.” 

Brian glared at him, but unwrapped it.

He was silent for nearly a minute before, looking up, trying to muster what little patience he still had for dealing with Eder. 

“Eder, my dearest brother, what the fuck? Why would I give this to him? I’m not some deranged cat. Besides why would I give him one from what you killed and not the one from a few months ago that I actually took out myself.”

“You would give him that one because it is fresh. Besides, what’s more romantic than killing a deathclaw for someone? That is the ultimate form of love in these godforsaken wastes!”

Brian shook his head “You have one weird definition of romance.”

—–

Skully was beyond confused when one early morning as he was closing the bar, he found a cloth bundle with a note clearly in Eder’s handwriting that read “From Bri <3 (I killed it for you).” He could practically smell the package and elected to just throw it away rather than open it, figuring it was Eder’s attempt at pulling a strange prank. He forgot to ask about it by the time the twins had stopped in a month later.

—–

Tonight it was Brian’s turn to cover the tab, as the pair had always chosen to switch off every visit, but this time the payment came with average sized plush dinosaur toy, one Skully had vaguely remembered others mentioning as being from Novac. He raised an eyebrow at Brian. 

“Is this your attempt at winning over my heart?” He asked in a teasing tone. 

Brian met his eye, or as close to it as Skully would allow. He was never really one for eye contact. “Yeah actually, it is.”

Skully paused for a moment. “Well, you’re closer to winning it over than a few others.”

—–

When it was Eder’s turn to pay there was a toy rocket, that he knew wasn’t from Eder. He put it on the shelf next to the dinosaur, and within the next four months they were joined by snowglobe, a teddy bear, an eight ball, and a busted camera. Skully was becoming quite happy with his small collection, and even more happy with spending time with Brian outside of the bar.


End file.
